Drastic Changes Coming In Teaching By HERB GRAF1IS

ROS WHOSE intelligence, business search disclosing ideas contrary to those some pros had been teaching. Pjudgment and education would make them successful in any business are giving The truth is that the best of the older a great deal of thought to drastic revision teachers are eager to learn anything that of golf instruction. will better their effectiveness for their And they are not the only ones who pupils. But having seen many theories entertain this notion. Club officials and come and go they are not inclined to hasten other amateurs who have seen the rela- into adoption of any and every hunch that tionship between scoring abilities of mem- looks good, until it is tested and found of bers and the amount of play are question- value. ing why the great increase in golf interest Pros, no more than doctors, can expect and play is not being accompanied by a to retain methods that have been improved corresponding increase of public interest upon by the march of their profession. in golf lessons. And certainly the improved scoring in the There is, of course, the fact painful to tournaments is plain evidence that there pros that with prices increasing in every- has been improvement in the , thing else there has not been a noticeable regardless of what part improved imple- increase in the price of golf instruction. ments and easier playing conditions have Only a few pros with excellent reputations done to lower scores. and results as teachers have increased their fees although the who shag Changing Ideas the balls for the lessons have hiked their Most pros will remember the stories of prices. Hagen in his budding days practicing Foundation of the pro's status as an with a handkerchief held by the upper part authority on golf, consequently his mer- of his right arm against his body. Many chandising position, is his service as an of these pros comment on how the swings instructor. But that value must be con- of Nelson, Hogan have developed Hagen's stantly kept bright in the golfing public's attention to the right elbow being kept mind. It is a sure thing that there is much close in. work to be done by the pros and the PGA Now there's talk about the grip of some to revise and elevate public regard for golf outstanding tournament stars departing teaching. from what has been taught by spoken and Golf instruction itself has advanced far printed word and picture. For years the more during the past decade than amateur recommendation has been to have the grip golfers realize. Many back-stage factors of the club run diagonally across the left in pro golf account for the advance. In- hand so it is against the heel of the palm. struction clinics of various PGA sections, Now it's noticed that several of the stars study of slow motion pictures, observation don't have the grip running at this angle, and discussion of tournament players' but have it almost even with the junction methods, the discussion stirred up by the of the fingers and the palm. Perhaps that's PGA instruction committee, and develop- promising as something that will help pios ment of a scientific and open-minded atti- solve the problem of teaching a grip pupils tude toward the whole subject, have given can use easier and better; perhaps it isn't. golf instruction far more progress than But at least, when pros are giving consid- the pros have been able to get across to erable thought to the fraction of an inch the public. change that might benefit their pupils, it's something that the pros should get to the Instruction Over Obstacles public as evidence of the teaching pros' Numerous handicaps had to be over- constant effort to find the answers for their come in making that progress. The vari- students. ations of art and temperaments provided The golfing public has been inclined to obstacles. There was some fear that uni- criticize pros for not improving the stand- formity in golf instruction might require ard of club members' golf. But the public a drastic revision. in methods of older doesn't appreciate—nor have the pros professionals who had done quite well as brought it to the public's attention—what teachers. There was too much talk and far greater handicaps the pro has in his undue alarm about the possibility of re- teaching compared with the less complex The teaching problems of other sports coaches. DII3CW Pros' Job is Tougher TRADEMARK The coach of a football, basketball, base- ball or boxing team can insist that the team members follow instruct'ons, practice, o, ^ and keep in training, or be dropped from the squad. But, in golf, if a pupil doesn't OBO get magic results although not heeding instructions, not practicing to any extent, identifies or not staying in any sort of training, the FINE GOLF CLUBS pro is dropped from the team. Golf instruction is further handicapped by having started tail-end-to, as instruc- tion of adults by men who'd not had training as teachers. Considering that background it is marvelous that golf in- struction has advanced as greatly as it has. Some of the veteran pros brought that point out to me years ago when class teach- ing of juniors began to get into the pic- ture. George Sargent, Willie Ogg, Joe Novak, Johnnie Inglis and Stanley Davies Featuring were among those I recall as saying that JOCK HUTCHISON and BETTY HICKS the experience and study of pros in junior CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS instruction was bound to have, eventually, a revolutionary effect on teaching methods. DESIGNED FOR BETTER SCORING Teaching Psychology Wrong J. A. DUBOW MFG. CO. Tommy Armour brought out, in a 1*05-13 MILWAUKEE AVE. CHICAGO 47, ILL memorable talk at a Minnesota PGA clinic, that the usual psychology of golf instruc- tion is an almost insurmountable handi- cap. The pro often the balls and otherwise subconsciously creates the mood ROBERT TRENT JONES of the pupil being the master mind of the session. Armour maintained that if the same insidious procedure were followed in school teaching the pupils' prcgress would be extremely slow. In that observa- Architect tion he was confirmed by University of Minnesota faculty members and athletic instructors who also appeared on the program. 20 Vesey Street Changing that relationship is part of the NEW YORK, N. Y. job ahead in modernizing golf instruction. There is another fundamental change that will have to be made in the general

A NEW, UP-TO-DATE " INSTRUCTION MANUAL" WITH 49 PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS Every club should have a supply—one for each caddie—to bring back this "lost art" to its prewar level. A small investment will pay big dividends in membership pleasure.

Prices Prepaid Copyrighted and for sale by 50 Copies (minimum order) $12.50 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: US THE MASSACHUSETTS GOLF ASS'N 300 Copies 50.00 For larger orders, write for special rates. 261 Franklin St., Boston 10, Mass. pattern of golf instruction, according to statements of many club officials and repre- sentative members who've been queried by Golfdom. That change is that of outlining first to the adult pupil what the pro expects to teach him. Most pupils come to the pro believing that the immediate objective of the pro is that of t^ching the student to score better. But what the pro has in his mind is teach- ing the pupil to hit the ball with reasonable uniformity. Pro and Pupil Difference There is considerable difference between what the pupil believes he is being taught and what the pro believes he is teaching. That difference, in the opinion of most of the amateur golfers queried, accounts for the one statement of pupils that has been most damaging testimony concerning pro instruction. The statement is the oft- heard one of the pupil saying he scored worse after taking lessons than before. What the pro had been trying to do was to establish a swing habit that would Both the gentlemen are correct. increase the pupil's chances of hitting the ball squarely. Such a habit is not estab- Gauztex (the gauze bandage that lished quickly when bad habits first must slicks to itself) forms a perfect be eliminated. The alteration naturally would upset the pupil temporarily. grip in wet weather or for sweaty hands. Used as a bandage, Gauztex However, the average pupil lacking an explanation and warning of the usual protects tender fingers or hands early aftermath of a golf lesson, thinks against blisters. the lesson has done harm to his scoring Gauztex bandages or handle- hopes rather than benefitting them. wrappings will not come loose in Several amateurs who've had lessons from many pros suggested that golf in- water. No tapes or adhesives are struction of adults might be made more required. Simply wrap around effective if the pro could devote the first (with an overlap), press firmly, lesson or two to a sort of a classroom session with the pupil in which the sim- and the gauze will stick to itself plest fundamentals of golf swing theory alone. No gummy deposits remain when Gauztex is removed. Your customers will want Gauz- tex, so keep a Sports Dozen or two in your shop. A bright, two-color display carton sells the individual packages for you — your regular wholesaler can supply you.

GENERAL BANDAGES, INC. 531 PLYMOUTH COURT • CHICAGO 5, ILL. Yes, Lewis is the washer that every course should have at EVERY ! A clean ball means FEWER LOST BALLS — FASTER PLAY — LONGER DRIVES — MORE ACCURATE PUTTS. G. B. LEWIS CO., Watertown, Wis. GAUZTEX and mechanics were explained and dis- cussed. The adult pupil of the pro is accustomed to understanding what he is expected to KEEP YOUR EYE do and why, before receiving instructions to do it, when he is being tutored in any- TURF thing else but golf. In golf he goes into his lesson tee session trying to work from his ON THE^BAtt confused and clumsy self down to the ball. The pupil seldom realizes that theo- retically the club is an extension of the hands or considers the reasons why clubs are designed and made as they are. Printed golf lesson outlines for pre- liminary information and discussion have been proposed by amateur golfers expe- rienced in teaching university, business and trade students. Such material would give the golf pupil a sound basis for under- standing and absorbing tee instruction when the time for that is reached, in due course. Such, at any rate, is the belief of those who propose this method. They maintain that the great majority of the adult golf pupils are accustomed to having reading study coordinated with instruc- tion by teachers, hence would respond more to golf instruction along this line. By this method each pro could supply his own printed or mimeographed material See how Vigoro helps or use such material as the PGA instruc- produce better greens tion committee might prepare. Tradition Retards Teaching and fairways But how long it might take to accustom the golfers to this method, after the policy Attract golfers to your course with of rushing them out to the tee for'the first velvety smooth greens and beautiful, lesson, is hard to say. It might click soon hardy fairways . . . turf in top notch and it might flop. Probably it would de- pend on the pro himself, more than on the playing condition! pupils. Vigoro can help you have the kind of The idea of charging a set seasonal fee course golfers seek out. For Vigoro to all members for instruction as needed means better grounds . . . better golfing. has been used at a few clubs. Theoretically it looks good; practically, it has not worked Helps Choke Out Weeds! out any too well, mainly because of the difficulty the pro has in providing the Vigoro, complete plant food, does a time demanded by the pupils. thorough feeding job. Helps develop top In that respect golf instruction is bound growth of the right resiliency for best by tradition. The traditional lesson time is a half hour. Experts in teaching tho play . . . strong deep roots . . . grass so manual arts to school and shop students thick it tends to choke out weedsl For say that 15 minute tee instruction sessions additional information on our successful often are as long as most adult golf feeding program proved on the grounds students can effectively absorb. What a survey of the status of golf of many of America's most popular instruction does indicate quite definitely courses write to: is that in study of details of the swing the pros are far ahead of their study of the basic platform of golf instruction. Study of the golf pupil as a human has not Swift & Company been kept up to the study of the golf swing. There are great changes coming in golf Plant Food Division instruction that will balance progress in U. S. Yards analysis of the swing with progress in applying the findings to the temperament Chicago 9, III. and physique of the average American citizen. Those changes will mean increased income for competent pros and improved results for the golfing public.